Fears over increase in flytipping following proposed waste site changes

Residents in Horsham fear that plans to restrict the opening hours of the town’s rubbish tip could lead to more waste being dumped around the town.

West Sussex County Council has announced plans to close the tip at Hop Oast - and another household waste recycling site at Billingshurst - for two days a week in a bid to save money.

It is proposed that opening hours for the sites would be reduced to 8.30 am to 4.30pm.

The county council, which says it needs to save £18.6 million next year, says that the tip changes could save around £2 million a year.

But residents have taken to social media to complain about the proposals.

They say that the Hop Oast site is the only site that serves the whole of Horsham and it’s ‘always packed.’

One man on the website streetlife.com said: “I have managed to recycle quite a lot of items via this website. Not rubbish, but things I no longer need. A few years ago they would have gone to the tip.

“I hope that as a result of the council reducing the hours that the tip is open we don’t have an increase in flytipping.”

Another woman said: “I use alot of websites to recycle bits but there are still times you need to use Hop Oast. All they are doing is encouraging fly tipping as the area is growing in size.”

And another complained: “They should be encouraging MORE recycling rather than less and, in my opinion, should provide a site for us in the north to recycle whenever possible.

“After all, they must be getting a huge amount of revenue from us in council tax but not providing adequate services.”

Currently sites are open from 8am-7pm Monday to Friday and from 9am - 7pm at weekends and during summer bank holidays.

A spokesman for West Sussex County Council said: “Evidence from other county councils who have made similar changes to our proposals shows that there has not been increased fly-tipping of household wastes.

“However, we will continue to monitor the sites and will work closely with district and borough councils to ensure any incidents of fly-tipping are promptly reported, cleared and investigated fully.

“We encourage all residents to have their say on the proposed changes via the online consultation which can be accessed at https://haveyoursay.westsussex.gov.uk/waste-management-services/hwrs.”